


Ashedon Shadowheart and his Obsession

by phoenixreal_gaming (phoenixreal)



Series: Zen'ina, Voice of Drendari [4]
Category: Dungeons & Dragons (Roleplaying Game), Scarred Lands (Roleplaying Game)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-23
Updated: 2017-06-23
Packaged: 2018-11-17 13:47:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,184
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11276535
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/phoenixreal/pseuds/phoenixreal_gaming
Summary: Ashedon Shadowheart, A vertigen thief finds a fascinating woman...





	Ashedon Shadowheart and his Obsession

 

Ash and Tendra

[This first incident takes place sometime while Zen is in training.  Ash is a curious sort and find something interesting about this elven woman.  He is also dealing with the idea that some of the people he lived with for years in Durover are in danger at the moment.  After seeing the people he knew in the ganjus die in the Druid War, it’s a little hard for him to think that the same thing is happening in Durover.]

 

Ash walked slowly down Stormside, not that anyone would notice his passing.  He carried with him as usual a smirk.  He was well hidden in the shadows and the streets were very nearly vacant.  It was Corday after all, and no one came out today.  He flexed his hands, the black runemarked gloves tight against his hands.  In no way did either of them impede his ability with his hands.  He was still quiet.  He made his way down to Tendra’s place once more.  He wanted to ask her a question about someone he’d seen about a lot lately.  He entered the area and stepped back to see how good the watch was today.  He got almost to the door before Tendra’s voice came to him.

“You will not be sneaking up on me, boy.”  Ash couldn’t help but smile as he came into the yard to see her.  He smiled.  “Tendra.  How are you this fine day?” he said motioning to the sky.

“Ah, don’t start with me Ash, I don’t want you getting my purse,” she said with a smile.  “What are you after today, anyway?  I’m busy here you know.” 

Ash’s mouth smiled and he walked inside and took a seat.  “I’m curious, Tendra.” 

Tendra smiled offhandedly.  “Oh?  And what might you be curious about?”

Ash smiled and tried to look serious as though his curiosity was of an official nature, “Um, what is with this elf woman you’ve been training?” 

Tendra cocked an eyebrow at him.  “I mean, she’s not really like us, she doesn’t have the same attitude toward wealth…what is her deal anyway?” 

Tendra shrugged.  “She’s like me, a sorceress, of quite some power, drawn to the Mistress like many who desire a different path than the one that Mesos laid for them.” 

At her words Ash’s eyes made an emotion even if no other part of him did.  “You mean she’s a Shadow Walker like us?” he asked. 

Tendra only nodded.  “What brings your interest, my boy?” she asked with a smile.

Ash stood and shook his head.  “You know, just checking up on who is going here and there around here.  You know me, I like to be sure that I know about everyone that comes here.” 

Tendra’s wry voice conveyed the smirk that was on her face.  “Especially if they happen to be a female who wouldn’t mind your ears.” 

Ash bit his lip rather than say anything, his hand going unconsciously under his head wrap that covered his ears, much like elven ears.  “So she’s blood of Mesos too…” he said quietly. 

Tendra smiled and touched his shoulder.  “Just like you and me, boy.  Except you don’t wield the power like I do.”  Ash nodded.  He didn’t say anything.  “Well, Ash, you’re not quick with the wit on it today are you…something is really on your mind isn’t it?” 

Ash turned back around and smiled.  “Nothing, have we heard any more from are agents around Durover?  I’d be curious to see how things are going down around my old haunt, I heard the crier say things were bad down there.” 

Tendra shrugged.  “You know as much as I do, its hard to tell with Callastia pressing down on them like it is how long it will be before they are another part of Virduk’s lands.” 

Ash sighed.  He had some good friends in Durover and he hated to see the place fall.  When he was there doing work for the Mistress things weren’t good, and this was not good news.  “Think anyone else will go help?  I know the paladins can’t send any more to help them than they already have, and the Madrielites won’t send any more from here.  Think any of us will go down there?” he asked his eyes out the window. 

Tendra sighed behind him.  “That will be up to each and every person.  We’re not like the paladins or the madrielites.  I can’t send you anywhere, but you can go anywhere you want long as I know where you are going…” she said softly. 

Ash remained silent for a moment then spoke up, “Gotta go Tendra, I’ll see ya later,” he said and walked out the door.  Tendra smirked as he went.

Ash walked some of the darker parts of Stormside, his mind wandering.  _Another Shadow Walker in Mithil…I wonder if she’s gonna stay in Mithril or if she’ll move on.  I sure wish I could get to know someone who would understand me besides Tendra. Maybe I’ll keep an eye on this one._ Ash thought about it a while, then had another thought.  _She will know I’m not an elf right off though…she’ll be able to tell, but she’ll understand, afterall she’s of the blood of Mesos…_

A Spectator Sport

Ash’s toe hit the rock and it skipped to the bloody water.  He watched as it sunk beneath the waters.  He sighed heavily.  He slowly sunk down to sit on a piece of driftwood.  He looked out on the waters in a melancholy way.  Sometimes the life of a Shadow Walker was so lonely.  He knew that the Mistress was out there…but that didn’t help cure his condition down in the real world.  He flexed his hands, the black rune etched gloves bending with his fingers so easily.  To anyone else he looked unarmed, completely…but he wasn’t.  Amazing things, these gloves…inside one was his sap, and in the other his short sword.  A man like Ash did not ever want to be without something to defend himself with.  For some reason he was incredibly sad and heavy hearted today…

A sound caught his ear, and he turned on his seat.  Didn’t see anything yet…but it sounded like that elven woman he’d been seeing at Tendra’s place.  He ducked beside a piling, and to most eyes, disappeared.  He watched as they approached.  Again, he wondered, why does she travel with two dwarves and another elf?  He crouched down and watched closely as the strange unarmed dwarf walked to one side of her and the burly axe wielder walked the other side.  He’d seen him a lot, up on blood point swinging that great weapon.  Ash held deep respect for that, but he didn’t know what to make of the other dwarf.  Was she involved with one of those three?  He mused a minute as he watched her from his point.  Most likely would be the elf…but he was a Madrielite.  Those people were so uptight sometimes that they never got married except to the church…  An elf with a dwarf?  Ash shook his head.  Nah, that would never happen.

For some reason, he found himself following along beside them.  She wasn’t romantic towards either of them, casually chatted now and then and looked about.  He’d not seen an elf like her or the male elf he’d seen her with before…  He wondered how come she wasn’t involved with anyone.  He broke off before they saw him, as he knew where she was headed, to Tendra’s of course.  He’d asked Tendra about her before…but as usual didn’t get much of an answer. 

Ash walked around behind them and was crossing the path in front of them and almost ran into her but slipped away just as quick as he came into the road.  She looked where he had gone briefly, a confused look on her ivory face, and for a moment, he could have sworn she met eyes with him, but they she looked away.  He realized she had Blue eyes…almost violet…something he’d not seen since he’d spent time in the Ganjus south of Amalthea…he thought that those kind of elves were all dead…or Forsaken.  He had never gotten close enough to either of the elves to see their eyes…  He stood still watching her walk away, the black cloak she wore trailing after her, but he could see the short sword on her hip. It was intricate and beautifully hilted…and on her hands were a pair of rune marked gloves, but not like his.  His were etched almost unnoticeably.  He skirted them and went to the pier.

Ash sad down and watched the bloody sea.  So, what should he do?  He sighed…the other reason for his melancholy state bringing back memories of his time spent in Durover, not that long ago.  His Dwarven friend who made him his armor lived down there…he wondered if he yet lived.  He touched the chain under his dark shirt.  It was eerily silent…like him.  He was glad that that wizard he’d saved the life of while he was down there was able to reward him with such an enchantment.  Made his line of work easier… 

He watched a rich merchant clomping down the street, one hand on his purse and watching every dark corner.  Ash sighed, not even in the mood to teach him a lesson about rooking poor people out of their money.  He watched him pass in silence, pulling his black cloak about him.  Every one he knew in the Ganjus was probably dead after the Druid war.  And now everyone he’d known in Durover was probably dying too.  He sighed again and pulled off his hat briefly and smoothed his black hair down and plopped it back on quickly before anyone else saw.  Not many people knew about his ears…Tendra was one of the few.  He’d been mistaken many times for an elf.  But being mistaken for an elf was usually in his best interest for if they realized what he really was he was usually in trouble.  He shivered at the thought…

“You are nothing but a titanspawn abomination!” the farmer screamed at him as the wooden club connected with his skull. 

The next thing he knew he was in a prison cell, all his things piled in a pile on the floor below him, but he was tied up tight and hanging by his wrists. It was dark, and he was facing the wall, but soon he was spun around and facing the old farmer that he had stopped to ask for directions from.  He should have kept on walking.  But how was he supposed to know they would know him for what he was?

_He felt the next sting though of a cat of nine tails.  He bit his lip.  “Ye’re no elf, no matter what ye say!  Ye’re the titanspawn of Mesos, I remember the last one of ye that was here!  Ye killed the mayor and tried to tell us all that Mesos would return with a vengeance on us Godlovers.  That’s what ye are…” Once again the whip bit into the flesh of his back and he was silent.  Before long he felt blood dripping down his back and to the floor.  He passed out several times only to be waken up by the next lash._

_“Tomorrow, ye’ll be tried, foul creature.  Ye’ll die on a pit o’flames.  Then we’ll see how many people you’ll spread the word of your creator to…” the man snarled._

_Ash looked at him through bleary eyes.  “I told you before, I’m on my way to Mithril.  If I was a titan worshiper would I be going there?”  His only answer was a backhanded slap across his face._

_He sighed as he left him, locking the door.  He had to get out of this situation.  He worked at the bindings on his wrists and realized that they weren’t tied that well, and soon had himself loose from the beam.  He then managed to wriggle his hands out of the bindings on his wrists. He flinched again and again at the pain in his back.  He fished out his shirt and put it on, though it wouldn’t be white anymore…not after this._

_Then he pulled on his chain shirt, and his dark shirt.  He smiled pulling on his gloves.  It’s a wonder any of his stuff was still here.  He pulled his cloak over his shoulders, then fished out his tools.  He moved to the side of the door.  There wasn’t a guard, and in quick succession, had the door open.  Poor lock, he thought as he moved silently through the hallway to the door leading outside.  He called his sap forth and approached the man who sat watch at the desk.  He was unconscious before he even knew what was happening as Ash slapped the sap across his neck.  He eased him into a position that looked like he’d fallen asleep and snuck out the front door.  He kept to the wall and eventually made it out of the village and out onto the road again, his back stinging with every step.  Would his legacy never leave him be?  He wanted nothing to do with where he came from, he was only interested in where he was going anymore…didn’t they understand that people can change?_

Ash shook his head and came out of the reverie.  He sighed again.  Why was it that when he was in a sad mood, all the bad thoughts surfaced in him?  Maybe it’s a bad habit I have…he thought solemnly.  He stood and almost hit the chin of the man who stood behind him.  He stepped back, staring at three burly looking men.

“What do you boys want?” Ash said stepping back. 

The bigger of the three smiled, his mouth missing at least seven teeth.  “You are on our pier.”  Ash smirked.  “Well, then I guess I’ll leave then.” 

The other two stepped to either side of him.  “You been on our pier for a while.  You pay us for time.”  Ash looked from one of the men to another. 

He stood with a hand on one hip casually.  “Is that so?  And why would I do that?” 

The toothless one pulled a club from his back.  “We break your skull if you no pay.  This is Goblin Bear’s pier.”  Ash shifted his weight from one leg to the other one, his right hand where his sap was at the ready to give this big boy a big surprise. 

“I was not aware that this was you boy’s territory…so now that I know I’ll be on my way…” he said watching all three of them. 

“You pay ten blade for use of pier,” one of the other two said, his voice rough. 

Ash gave an abashed look.  “A golem to sit on a pier?” he said with indignation.  “You’ve gotta be kidding me…” he whispered almost to himself. 

As he did, his sap came out and hit the toothless one in a particularly stunning area and he crumpled to the ground, out cold in one hit.  The other two pulled clubs, one missing badly, the other not even getting a hard enough hit to hurt through his armor.  He spun around, landing the sap across one’s nose and hearing a crunching noise as the bone broke.  The other came in and landed a solid shot on his knee, but he came back around and landed and particularly nasty shot to his groin area, crumpling him to the ground.  He kicked the one who was holding his nose for good measure and leaped off the pier to the ground and took off, disappearing into the crowd.

More and more of his people were getting hurt by the Goblin Bears…his sadness had not been alleviated by the fight, only deepened.  He made his way to one of the only havens he had, Tendra’s place.  He came in silent as always and waved to the sentries and eased into the place.  She looked up at his entrance and he was about to say something when he saw that she was training the elven woman.  He sat back in his perch, up on the second story looking down.  She’d taken off her cloak and laid it over the case that she kept that strange creature of her’s in.  She was learning a bit of reflexes today it seemed, and she was agile from what he could tell.  She wasn’t very strong, by the look, she was so frail and slight of body.  Her skin was lighter than most in this area…meaning she probably came from inland and an area like the Ganjus.  He watched her through the day.  Before he knew it, she was going back to her Inn for the night.  He watched her go and hopped down.

Tendra turned to him.  “I see my training is a spectator sport now, eh Ash?” she asked, a smirk on her face. 

Ash smiled and clapped the woman on the shoulder.  “No…just bored out of my mind and I got chased off my perch by some Goblin Bears by the water, so I figured I’d come here,” he said rubbing his leg. 

“Got ya good did they?” she asked an eyebrow cocked. 

Ash stood up straighter.  “No, just got a close one on me…” Tendra smiled, “Yeah.”

Tendra turned back and looked out the door as her trainee left.  “She’s certainly paying me well…I’ll be sorry when she and her friends leave.” 

Ash stood beside her his eyes watching her as the dwarf came up to the yard.  He waited as she approached and she began chatting with him. 

“Oh, when is that?” Ash tried to sound casual.  “I’m thinking about a month or two at least…” Tendra said, shutting the door.  “She’s got a lot to learn…and I think I’m going to teach her as much as I know by the time she leaves.” 

Ash nodded slowly.  “Well, was just thinking today about all the bad stuff that’s happing to people I once knew again…” Tendra nodded.  “Durover…the word on it isn’t getting any better from what my contacts tell me.” Ash looked back toward the door. 

Tendra put a hand on his shoulder.  “You know…if you want to know her you could ask her to tell you herself?” she said and Ash looked back at her for a moment he looked like he was thinking about it…but he shook his head. 

“I can’t do that Tendra.  I…I just can’t…she’d reject me, I’m sure of it.  She’s not…my type.”  Tendra slapped him on the back of the head. 

He flinched and looked at her.  “Boy, get outta here if your just gonna stand here and watch my door.  Go have prayers at the shrine, ask for guidance from the Mistress, and maybe you’ll have your eyes opened…”  She disappeared into the room, and Ash nodded, and headed off for the afternoon services at the Shrine.

That night he didn’t feel like running about Stormside and “liberating wealth”, he felt like being with someone else for once who could listen to him and understand him.  He sighed, heart and head heavy, and fell to sleep just after his personal prayers at dusk.  He asked the Mistress to help him sort it out…and understand what exactly what was going on.

On the Search for More Information

Ash made his way along the road by the docks again, his mind not on what he was doing.  He didn’t quite know what was going on with him lately.  He just couldn’t keep his mind on things.  Sometimes he couldn’t even liberate the rich merchants wealth…  Everyone he saw reminded him of someone else.  Even the stranger people reminded him of things that had happened to him in his past.  He moved along Stormside once again, almost invisible to the common folk that walked past, and every once in a while someone took note of him that was his kind of people.  Just kind of in passing.  He stopped and leaned back against the wall of a building and watched as the people moved past him.  Mostly humans and the like.  Poor people mostly, not many rich people dared walk Stormside much anymore.  He had to go all the way on Leeside for the good pickings anymore…

      He watched the docks as he walked by them, as he moved around to that side of the city.  It seemed the wanderlust had seized him this time.  He couldn’t seem to stay in the same place…  He sighed, hands deep in his pockets and thought about times gone by.  Before he knew it, it was the end of the day, and it was Vanday, perhaps enough would show for services on this dark day…  They all knew that the pickings would be even slimmer than normal with tomorrow being Corday. 

He made his way toward the Ink Spot and went inside, pulling his cowl down over him, like just about everyone else in the room did.  The priest stood up front and spoke and asked for offerings, which everyone got up and gave.  As he sat down the next person stood and he caught the scent of something sweet on them as they walked past.  Ash took not because down here in Harbor City it was extremely hard to keep clean…especially at the end of the day.  Most people that ended up packed into this small shrine stunk…they definitely did not smell sweet and clean.  He looked up and watched carefully as their hand reached out and dropped…a golem?  He blinked and watched the hand…feminine and very fine boned and bearing a ring on one finger, plain and silver, disappear back under the cloak.  The figure turned back, but she was cowled and he could not see her face, and Ash sat still moving only his eyes, as it was very rude to gawk at those offering.   He could not see any more, even as she got closer to him, because her cloak seemed to be almost blurring her figure.  She was sitting directly beside him too, and that made it even more frustrating.  Because he thought it was her…he knew she was a Shadow Walker, and having seen her up close, knew she was an elf, which interested him quite a bit, if this female was the same one…

The priest asked if any needed healing, and today none did.  He asked for silent prayers and hopes that the paladins and the Goblin Bears would let them alone and in peace in their own silent battles against the enemies of Mithril. 

One gruff voice piped up, “They take care o’ the shrine of Belsameth and Vangal, but they won’t leave one to our Mistress be…” 

There was resounding agreement throughout the small room.  Except the female beside him, who was silent, but he saw her nod in agreement.  The priest shushed them, chiding them for thinking that way; it is just the way things are.  They should simply do as they must and care for the downtrodden that the Paladins didn’t look after.  Ash was determined to see if this figure was the woman he thought it was.  He kept running into her again and again, though he was certain she had no idea of it.

The priest told them all to be careful, and, as usual ended things with his normal comment, “Remember wherever there is a shadow, it simply means there is a light nearby…” 

Ash was barely aware by this time, he stood as the others did and waited.  He bit his lip nervously as they all began to file out, and she stood too, waiting her turn, her head down like the rest.  She pulled her cloak around her, and Ash was more and more certain it was that elf…

She left, and Ash made sure to be next.  He tailed her as she moved quietly away, and he lost her more than once.  She was good…but then she was being trained by Tendra.  He managed to anticipate that if she _was_ that elf, she’d head back to her inn, and he got in front of her and waited along the main road headed around toward Leeside and the Inn he’d heard Tendra mention.  Soon, the cloaked figure walked past him, feet sandaled and he could see now that she had no skirts hanging below her cloak.  _Has to be_ …he thought.

He took a shortcut to the Inn of the Standing Bear, and went inside the Inn and went directly to the bar, looking the part of the weary traveler who needed a stopover.  The keep asked if he’d like a room, and to keep up appearance he took one for the evening.  He checked his head wrap, and it was in place, his hair pulled back at the nape of his neck.  He took a meal and drink and sat and partook and he heard rough dwarven voices at a table near the fire.  He tuned his ear to listen.  _Ashedon Shadowheart, what are you doing here?_ He asked himself as he sat down to the bar.  _You are in an Inn, in fact just paid for a room, for what reason?_ Ash thought for a minute.  _Because I want to know her name…not that that means a thing.  Just curious is all.  That’s it._

“You mean ye let her go a wanderin’ by herself?” one said. 

“Einkill, do we ever _let_ her do anything?” the other answered.  “Humph.  I don’t like it, not one bit…she shouldn’t be a wanderin’ around that part o’town alone, Corgan.  I don’t trust it…she may get into trouble, she might not be safe from some of those people down there.” 

 _Einkill and Corgan are the dwarves,_ Ash thought to himself, eating the meal slowly.  _Einkill must be the rougher, axe wielding one…he sounds courser…_

“Ha!  More like those people aren’t safe from her!” the second, Corgan, answered back.  Ash smiled at that. 

“Humph.” 

A lighter voice chimed in, male but lighter in tone, “You both know she can handle herself…” _The male elf, obviously…_ Ash thought, then stretched and rolled his head in their direction, and sure enough, two dwarves and an elf sat at the table, eating their meals. 

“Yeah, she can handle herself just fine…but what if those people that nabbed you come after her again…they nearly killed you and would have killed her…or worse…if she hadn’t gotten loose from the ropes and fooled ‘em with her magic disappearin’ act…” the course one said in response. 

Ash’s brows scrunched.  _Would have killed them…wonder what that was all about…_

“Well, I’ve about had it.  I’m going to look for her.” Ash glanced that way to see the courser dwarf standing up and then he sat back down quickly. 

Ash was confused until his cloaked figure sat down at the table.  “What…don’t tell me you were worried Einkill…” a light female voice said in elven. 

He felt tightness cross his chest.  For a moment he feared she’d recognize him…no, impossible, their meeting had been far too brief…and well, he had his ways of ensuring no one remembered him when he wished.  But Ash was confused now because she was speaking to dwarves in elven…

“You shouldn’t be running around Harbor City alone…” the gruff dwarf answered in rough elven.  Ash blinked repeatedly. 

Ragnald, the Inn’s owner and barkeep, leaned over.  “Surprised me the first time I heard it too, don’t know what he said, but I know it wasn’t dwarven…it’s her tongue and both those dwarves speak it…” The barkeep returned to cleaning barglasses.  Ash swallowed and continued with his food.  She then said something in something that sounded like elven…but was different and was answered by the other elf in the same tongue. 

The dwarf gruffed, “Don’t you two be conversin in that other elf tongue you two know…” in dwarven this time.  Ash once again was surprised as the woman answered him in dwarven, “Well, then Einkill you should let me teach you the high tongue to go with the one you know…if you wanna hear everything I say so badly…”  The dwarf grumbled and the second dwarf laughed with the two elves. 

Ash was determined to find out what he could about this mysterious elf.  She was most definitely like no elf he’d ever met.  He asked for a light ale after he finished his meal, and began to drink as the group talked some more.  Mostly it was just daily chatting.  She finished her meal and asked the woman for a bag of food for her pet. 

“Better feed that boy and keep him growing…he eats more than all of us put together…never seen the like…” one of the dwarves said in dwarven, and she laughed in musical tones. 

He glanced over and she put everything she and the priest had not eaten in it as well.  She had taken off the cloak to eat and wore only what appeared to be a bare minimum of clothing…just enough to pass for descent is what he’d always heard.  She laid the cloak over her arm and hummed as she went up the stairs.  He watched her go, and almost stood up to approach her to just say hello and ask her name…because Tendra always called her the student, or her trainee, or something of the like…and he couldn’t ask, or she’d tease him, but instead he drained his mug again.

The other elf was soon to follow to his own room, and Ash sat there with another drink, now feeling stupid for having wasted his money on a room when the whole reason he’d done it was to approach her and say hi.  So, rather than look stupid and leave without staying in the room, he stayed up at the bar, drinking the light ales.  He knew his limit and wouldn’t overstep it, for overindulgence dulled the reflexes far too much for his liking.  So, there he sat, and for a minute drowned his own sorrows, but then he realized that the two dwarves were still sitting at the table talking about adventures past…  He perked up a bit, perhaps it wasn’t all for nothing…

“Aye Corgan, I want to get out of this town…its far too oppressive to the spirit…” the courser dwarf said.  “They are far too picky about their ways, these human folk here.  Too many things…” 

The other dwarf sighed.  “I’ve lived with humans and their ways a long way.  You just have to kind of…go with it.” 

Ash heard movement. “Go with it? We get tossed in with the worst criminals in the jail for a night for not paying a stupid fine that we got for not having something no one told us we should have?  I mean, if it weren’t for her putting those men to sleep all night, there’s no telling what the one she called ‘overly friendly’ would have done…” Einkill was apparently quite flustered by that issue.  Ash smiled, he’d heard through some channels that Tendra’s new student had gotten thrown in jail for a night…

Corgan sighed.  “Their laws catch us, and they don’t catch that gang of humans?”

Einkill hit the table pretty hard and Ragnald looked toward him.  Ragnald shook his head and went back to his work.  “Well, anyone ever does what they did to Zen and Dhal again…my axe will take their head,” Einkill said, this time a bit softer. 

There was a sound to his voice that made Ash realize, he was serious.  He tilted his head to the side and listened some more. 

“I know…” the one called Corgan said.  Ash decided he would go sit opposite and look asleep in the chair…so he could watch their body language too.

Ash stumbled with his mug toward the fire and plopped in the chair, spilling some on him as he did so.  The dwarves looked up, and he raised his mug to them, a drunken smile on his face.  They smiled, and shook their heads and continued the conversation.  Ash swigged the rest of the ale, and laid his head back on the chair and appeared to fall asleep, but he was quite alert and attentive to the two dwarves.

“Corgan, you remember the first time she set ya on fire?” Ash could hardly avoid quirking his eyebrow at that. 

“Yeah…saved my life probably…” he said rubbing his leg unconsciously. 

“Had to buy a whole new suit of clothes after she singed my whole pant leg and all the hair on it off!”  He smiled and sipped his ale.  “Those grubs are nasty things…then they got me again up on Kadum’s Horn and she had to burn off most the skin on my shoulder for that one…” he said, this time rubbing the remains of what looked like a pretty severe burn mark on his arm.  “I’ve got to learn how those gorgon’s shrug of her fire like that…would sure help on the battlefield, whatever they do is easier than dodging it like I have to!”  Einkill laughed a bit with the tattooed dwarf.  Now that he was sitting, Ash could see the black hands that spread from Corgan’s own hands across his back.

“I would have never believed it…” Einkill said smiling through his beard. 

Corgan looked to him.  “Believed what?” 

Einkill shook his head.  Einkill looked at him.  “That two dwarves, you and me, would be willing to kill someone who hurt a hair on an elf…” 

Corgan smiled.  “Yeah…you are right, its strange…but not every elf goes to Burok Torn and dines with King Thain…” 

Ash almost gave himself away once again.  Dined with King Thain of Burok Torn?  There was a lot more to this elf than he thought.  He settled a bit more and murmured as if passed out.

“If I coulda got me hands on those humans that took Dhal then cut his throat…then had the gall to tie up Zen and threaten to kill her!” 

Ash smiled to himself, _Zen is her name…what an interesting name…_ Corgan laid a fist on the table.  “They wouldn’t have run out so quick, and never paid for their crime….” Corgan said, flexing his hand. 

“I woulda split their skulls for sure and certain…” Einkill said, frowning. 

“Told em if they ever saw one of that gang to tell me about it…” Corgan nodded.

Corgan turned his way and looked at him and shook his head.  Ash got a better look at the ring at his beard…interesting…he thought, noting the design of the sword compass and axes.  He turned back.  “These humans…never know when to stop drinking, do they Einkill?” 

Einkill smiled.  “Nay.”  He picked up his ale mug and drained it.  “Never would have believed that I’d defend an elf…woman or no…” he said shaking his head. 

Corgan sighed.  “Well, not every elf is willing to be taught Dwarven, or willing to teach Dwarves Elven…and those two are.” 

Ash was snoring a bit, but his attention was still centered.  “Ah, one day the world will know the Wayfarers, Einkill.  They’ll remember us…Einkill Ungarth, Corgan Ironhearth, Zen’ina Fyrestarr, and Dhal’es Darkshine…  They sing of us at Owen’s point already…one day song will reach these ears.” 

Einkill smiled as Ragnald brought them each one last drink for the night.  “Good dwarves, my wife and I will be retiring soon…”

Corgan nodded.  “We’ll be a going to bed after this drink.”  He nodded and left to finish cleaning off the tables in the back. 

“Corgan, we’ll do all we can till we die…” Einkill smiled.  “My axe, your firsts, Zen’s spells, and Dhal’s healing, and we’ll make it…” 

Corgan picked up his mug.  “To the future of the Wayfarers…”

Einkill picked up his, “Aye, to our future!”  Both downed their mugs and slammed them down to the table.  “Now, we sleep in tomorrow…” Einkill said, his voice tainted with the drink. 

“Aye!  We may, but Zen will be up to feed that little beast of hers bright and early or he’ll nip off her nose!” 

Einkill laughed and stood up with him.  “That’s a fact!  Maybe one of these days that little scaly chicken will do something besides eat and hide in her bag…”  With that, the two dwarves set off upstairs. 

Ragnald picked up Ash’s cup from the floor and cleared the dwarves table, then shook him awake after he’d cleared everything.  He appeared to slowly wake up.  “Up to ye room, good fellow.” 

Ash nodded and stood, appearing wobbly.  He made it up the stairs and to his room, but as he walked by one room, he heard that elf’s voice.  She was talking to something…  He put his ear to the door lock.  “There you are Drax!  You’re doing wonderful, baby!  We’ll show them, won’t we…you’ll fly beautifully one of these days, won’t you…” then he heard a strange sound like a cry of some sort. 

He stood and headed down to his room.  He went in and plopped down on the bed, and realized something else.  She’d gone to bed right as dusk came on…he shook his head again.  Pious…he thought.  He offered his own prayers then, along with an explanation for his tardiness, she’d understand gathering information…he’d done it so often for her before…

The next morning he woke rested and got up and washed up.  He made sure to pull his hair tightly over his ears and then wrapped his head band around him to ensure they could not be seen and went downstairs…and almost ran into her as she was coming back upstairs with a bag of food again.  He excused himself and dashed down the stairs quickly and out the door just as quick.  He stood outside the Inn and realized, he was having to catch his breath.  He shook his head and began to casually walk away, chiding himself for being so foolish.  He had to quit thinking about the past and everyone he’d known and just get back to liberating some wealth.  He made his way to Tendra’s place once more.  Just to see if the other boys were there to talk to about this and that.

Ash Remembering the Past, and Fearing the Future

Ash watched the world go by quietly.  He sat alone, as usual.  He felt his heart hurt once more as it had many times in his lifetime.  He watched the streets of Mithril through his window and he watched the people go by just after dusk had fallen and he’d given his prayer to the mistress, as he felt sure someone else was doing now as well.  He felt the cool wind on his face, fall had come to call, and he remembered a time, long ago, when fall came to him…

_He swallowed hard and tried to avoid the tears that he felt welling in his eyes.  He bit the inside of his cheek and tried to keep his composure.  He could not reveal weakness here.  He simply nodded to the man standing in front of him.  He shut the small door on the man.  He turned around and looked into the empty cottage.  He looked around, she was not there and she’d never be again.  Arena had been killed yesterday while riding a horse through the forest.  She’d died alone because she’d gone for a ride like she did many times, but nothing had ever gone wrong.  It had been nearly midnight before they found her…by then it had been much too late.  Ash had come home today to this news from a quick trip to the next village to meet with a contact in the Walkers…and he’d left her at her father’s home so she’d be safe. He’d been wrong._

_Their wedding would have happened in the next few weeks, at the beginning of fall, her favorite time of year. She’d even come to terms with the fact that he was an elf and would vastly outlive her, and so had Ash, though he truly did not know how long he’d live. She believed his tales of living in the Ganjus, and that he was one of those strange elves that came from there during the Druid War to find peace in Vesh…or some semblance thereof.  Granted, the story was so false it was repulsive at times to Ash when he told it.  And he’d fallen in love with her human innocence of things.  But as times neared for her to make her life his, he had begun to worry incessantly for her safety, mostly from people looking to do him harm…in fact when the accident happened, he’d been speaking to someone about making sure that she was kept out of his business completely…and out of harms way._

_But such is innocence…the smaller things are what come around to make their mark.  As he sat on the small cot that would have been their wedded bed, he began to cry.  Something he was not known to do.  This was the first time he’d ever given his heart to someone and now, it had unceremoniously been ripped out.  He couldn’t get her face out of his mind, and really couldn’t get her eyes out of his mind.  She’d had the most unusual blue eyes he’d ever seen…  There he fell to deep sleep, dreaming of her lying beside him, something that he’d never felt from her._

_He woke sometime the next morning, a whisper was on his ear, telling him to move on, return to Mithril and be with the people that would heal his sorrow.  He packed his things and walked to her father’s house.  He knocked on the door, and her weeping mother, who embraced him the moment she saw him, answered it.  She cried on his shoulder a long time, and she begged him to stay until she was buried in the family graveyard, looking up at him with her daughter’s blue eyes.  Grudgingly, at least inside, he agreed to stand by her grave and say a few words._

_As he stood solemnly as the priest spoke kind words of her life, a mere twenty falls in age, she was, and loved by all, and would be missed by all, especially her intended, Arish Shawndale, the elf that had come all this way to love a human lass for a period in his life…and on and on he went until Ash couldn’t take it much more, but finally they looked to him to speak.  He cleared his throat, and spoke softly.  “I found a kindred to my soul among the humans of this village…and thought I had found my love for part of my long life…but the fates have decreed it not to be so and I will deal with that though her heart will live forever inside of me…” He let a single tear fall, and dropped the purple flower onto her grave and turned his back and left, not ever to look back again._

_Days later he made it to Mithril with a caravan.  He’d been here before many times, but never to stay.  This time he would make himself known.  He’d go back to the place he’d spoke to the woman by the name of Tendra.  She’d been a rough one, but she’d also been a child of Mesos who he felt he could speak with.  He’d find her and then go about and be better even at what he was becoming.  He’d go seek refuge in the Mistress’s arms now, because mortal hands were too fragile._

_Many times he found himself in the arms of beautiful ladies…he had a way with them, but mostly to get their purses and no more.  He dallied with an elven woman or two that passed through, ones that believed him about being from the depths of the Ganjus or from far away Uria depending on where she…but he was never satisfied.  It was never right, and he never felt the stirring of emotion that had drawn him upon sight to his beautiful Arena…but she was gone and did not make any motion on his life once he’d gone to Mithril again. He’d gone there to forget…but he could never forget his past because it would follow him forever._

And now, here another pair of blue eyes haunted him…  He’d not had this feeling flutter in his heart since he’d met Arena.  It hadn’t been something of bodily attraction with Arena, she’d been a plain woman, nice enough to look at, but her eyes and her innocence had drawn him to her.  She was amazed with every story he regaled her with, even though most were lies, she was a simple girl and would never know or care if anything he told her was a lie, and she would never pry into his past…  Though as years had passed he wondered…would he have been happy?  True, it would have only been a small fraction of his life, but it would have been her entire life…spent entirely in a lie.

As he sat watching the world of Mithril out his window he thought, what would that have been like to her?  She’d think she loved me…but what if she ever had found out my true life?  I’d have lived a lie, and even if it only was for fifty or so years…could I have done that?  What if the Mistress called on me?  Maybe fate hadn’t been so cruel after all.  But what was he to do…he was presented with something again.  Arena he had thought was his one true love…that brief fleeting human life to come and go…but what if she wasn’t?  What if Arena was just like every other female he’d been with his entire life?

What if it would have been a mistake?  His heart ached for her, yes that was true, and it had since her death, but was it really aching for Arena, or just aching at being alone?  But what if…what if she was not the one?  What if this feeling that was washing over him now meant it was right?  He stepped to the window and looked to the sky, now deep into the midnight hours.  He swallowed hard again.  Arena was dead.  The fates had decreed that it was not to be.  Either that or the Gods themselves had decreed it as such.  Maybe there was such a thing as fate…it brought him to Mithril now…for him to be here and with Tendra when she came to the city…

Ash shook his head, his loose black hair shaking furiously and punched one fist deep into the wall.  It gave and his hand hurt from it.  As he pulled it out, it was bleeding across the knuckles.  He breathed heavily and felt like screaming.  What if this was his one last chance at happiness?  He’d lived over a hundred years now, and not once had a woman crossed his path he felt like this about, and as he thought, not even Arena made him feel this way.  He was frustrated, mad, helpless and afraid…all at the same time.  But still, her eyes haunted him…the eyes they say are window to the soul and Ash believed that because the part of Arena he’d fell in love with was her eyes…  Ash stopped and fell to the floor.  They had the same eyes…  The same color blue, not like normal blue and something not everyone had.

Ash’s mind reeled.  Arena wasn’t an elf…how?  His mind flew back in time, building Arena before his eyes, her pale face, her eyes that he could never forget…and her ears…that he thought were so cute because they came to a soft point…  Her mother had the same eyes, and now that Ash thought about it, her mother wore her hair over her ears…  Arena’s voice came to him, _“Don’t ask mother about her parents…she…doesn’t like to talk about it…”_ Ash knew now, the connection…Arena had elven blood…not much, but enough so that some attributes like her eyes were true to that. 

Ash swallowed again, wiping the blood from his knuckles onto his pants.  He was never meant to have Arena…he fell in love with this elf before he even met her…  Now Ash’s heart ached even more.  Was she still in Mithril even?  She had to be…Tendra had said she had a lot of training left, and he’d not been by Tendra’s…he’d been so busy with other business lately that he’d not had the chance to spy on his favored quarry.  He grabbed his cloak and took to the stairs and was into the street.  He ran most of the way, garnering strange glances from the thieves working the street this night.  His eyes were alight with reason, and he found his way to the Standing Bear in short order.  He swallowed and made his way silently into the inn.  He moved quickly, but utterly silent, up the dark stairs and reached the door that had been hers.  He placed an ear to it and heard nothing but he knew which it was now, from counting the doors.  It was barred from the inside, so he silently moved back outside. Someone was in there, whether it was her or not was another thing entirely.

He counted the windows and pulled off his boots, laying them against the building and pulled a bottle from his belt pouch.  He stared at the liquid, and shook his head.  _I thought I’d use you for something life or death…well, this is in a way…_ He downed the potion and in a few seconds leapt to the wall, his hands and feet sticking to it.  He scaled it quickly and found the windows open, and looked inside, and nearly jumped back out.  He had the right room, but she was sitting up in her bed, staring at him.  He then looked again; she didn’t see him of course… He’d been around elves to know that they didn’t sleep like most people.  He put himself in the window, and sat and stared, his heart in his chest beating hard.

She sat still, a serene look on her pale face.  Her golden red hair fell softly about her face and down her shoulders.  The only clothes she wore was a top of deep purple cloth and a blanket covered her legs.  He noted the chair near the bed that had a black cloak on it, and piled therein was a pair of black bracers, a necklace or two, and some rings, her things…  She was as close to pure as he’d seen her…  He stared at her for so long without blinking his eyes hurt and he had to blink.  Her eyes were so blue…  He sat there a good while further, watching her soft breath move in and out, until he saw movement.  That little creature of hers!  He had no idea what it was, but it could make noise and wake her up and give him away. He hopped to and was out and down the side of the building.  As he rounded the corner he saw movement out the window.  He’d not heard any noise, but as surely as he’d gotten out, it had waken her up somehow… He stood there in front of the Inn with bated breath.  He stood there thinking about how stupid that was.  If he’d been caught…  He couldn’t chide himself this time for not speaking to her, for surely she would have hated him for sneaking into her room.

He walked slowly back down the streets of Stormside.  There was a vise on his heart that he didn’t know how to get rid of.  He held inside him his greatest fear.  The way he felt, this was quite possibly the woman he desired more than any ever before and the one he wanted for a long time…what if she didn’t feel the same way?  What if she felt that she was better off by herself and didn’t need the likes of him hanging around her?  He’d invested so much in this dream already…could he really have it pulled from beneath him?  A child born of Mesos…quite literally…could never be too careful.  What if she deemed him the titanspawn that so many did?  He knew that her and her friends, who’d deemed to name themselves the Wayfarers, were great slayers of titanspawn…

Would she accept a Verigen like himself?  He may look elven, but that was far from what he was…  His people were born with no purpose and so many sought their purpose by following Mesos still…he knew as he had the scars on his back to prove it.  So many things…  Would she be better suited since she was a sorceress?  She knew what it was to carry the blood of Mesos…  Maybe she would be different.  But what if she wasn’t…  He couldn’t dare approach her, he’d probably just stare at her eyes, being that close to the eyes that haunted his dreams, waking and sleeping.  Her eyes, her hair…everything…he’d not seen one like her before, so delicate, yet so deadly from what he’d seen and heard…

So what was he to do?  Wait some more, he assumed.  He couldn’t get up the nerve to just talk to her for fear his fear would be made real.  He couldn’t _not_ go talk to her for fear she’d leave and he’d lose his chance…  But if she left Mithril…how could he ever check up on her from then on?  How could he be sure she was safe and not dead somewhere?  He’d have to talk to Tendra…no matter the teasing.  He bit his lip and stared at the stars. 

_I will do it.  I will speak to her.  I’ll take my chance…one of these days…_

He walked and walked more.  Thinking all the time.  He glanced down side streets, seeing people talking in secret, noticing people he knew.  There weren’t many out this night…Finally he looked inside himself, and asked, “Mistress what should I do?  I’m dying here, but should I take the chance?”  He didn’t expect an answer and he headed back to his bed, where he lay in restless sleep filled with a color of blue that was not like most others until the dawn.


End file.
